Figtree mother Leona Letham drives around for hours each week to try and get infant formula for her son Eli.
In a situation that has many new parents around Australia furious, the much sought-after formula is being stripped off supermarket and chemist shelves almost as soon as it’s placed.
Brands such as Aptamil are highly sought after by ‘daigou’ traders – Australian-based Chinese-speaking shoppers who buy up formula and onsell to China for inflated prices.
While large chains such as Coles and Woolworths are attempting to control supply – for instance introducing four-tin purchase limits – it’s simply not working in many cases.
‘’I wanted to keep breastfeeding but I was getting anxiety because I wasn’t producing enough milk and Eli wasn’t getting enough,’’ Ms Letham said.
‘’So I had to put him on formula and he started to thrive on Aptimal. However I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find it.
‘’My partner Dylan and I spend hours driving around, and I also ring around – one day I couldn’t find one chemist between Shellharbour and Thirroul which had any in stock.
‘’We actually saw the formula in (a Wollongong shopping outlet) but the Asian salesperson wouldn’t let us buy any – she said they were not for sale.’’
Ms Letham said it wasn’t as simple as changing to another brand, as Eli was used to the taste and thickness of the brand. She’s now taken to ordering it online herself, and often has to wait extended periods for it to arrive.
‘’I talk to the store’s employees and they say that the minute they put them on the shelf, a bunch of (people) will come in and grab them all,’’ she said.
‘’The rule which allows people to purchase four only doesn’t really work, as they keep coming back in or send someone else in.
‘’I’ve looked online and I’ve seen sites where they’re being sold for far more than the recommended retail price.’’
Australian-made products are desirable in China, where consumers fear their food or medicine could be fake or poisonous.
In a widely publicised scandal in 2008, six infants died and hundreds of thousands fell ill after consuming tainted milk powder and infant formula.
A Coles spokesperson said the chain was ‘’committed to ensuring that our customers with a genuine need for baby formula have access to this product’’.
‘’As we are currently experiencing unprecedented demand, we are limiting sales quantities to four units per customer,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘’We’re working to ensure our policies are strictly adhered to in stores.’’